Don't Talk (1942)

This MGM short, part of the Crime does not Pay series, focuses on industrial sabotage during wartime. After a valuable shipment of manganese is blown up at a plant, the FBI try to find out ... See full summary »

Director:

Joseph M. Newman

Writers:

Alan Friedman (story), Alan Friedman

Stars:

Donald Douglas, Gloria Holden, Barry Nelson

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Donald Douglas	...	FBI Agent Jack Sampson (as Don Douglas)
Gloria Holden	...	Beulah Anderson
Barry Nelson	...	FBI Agent Freed
Harry Worth	...	Otto aka Anatole

Storyline

This MGM short, part of the Crime does not Pay series, focuses on industrial sabotage during wartime. After a valuable shipment of manganese is blown up at a plant, the FBI try to find out how information on the manganese shipment was found out. They get a lead on one of the plotters, Beulah Anderson, who as a waitress in a café gets to pick up all kinds of scuttlebutt from the innocent but loose talking clients. Once they figure out how she is sending the information she gathers, the FBI sets a trap. The moral of the story is: Don't Talk!

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Plot Keywords:

crime does not pay series | spy | counter espionage | saboteur | fbi | 

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Genres:

Drama | Short

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 February 1942 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Crime Does Not Pay Subject: 'Don't Talk'

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

22 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dwight Frye plays a saboteur trying to stop the shipment of machine tools from a defense plant. Somewhat ironic as when he died the year after this was made, the death certificate had him listed as being a tool designer since he was working at Lockheed to do his bit in the war effort.

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Quotes

[first lines]
MGM Crime Reporter: Once again, as the MGM crime reporter, it is my privilege to bring you another episode in our Crime Does Not Pay series. For obvious reasons, the events and characters depicted herein are fictitious. My I present Mr. Jack Sampson, special agent in charge of a field division office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
FBI Agent Jack Sampson: Our war program, the most unprecedented in history, calls not only for the production of tanks and guns, planes and ships, but also for the building of a defense ...

User Reviews

Loose lips sink....trucks?!

"Don't Talk" is a wartime propaganda film that was nominated for the Oscar for best short. Surprisingly, it holds up very well today--despite its strong message for the folks at home.

This film is about industrial espionage--Axis attempts to sabotage war supplies being trucked across America. I am not sure how serious a problem this really was during the war. Other than a French cruise ship deliberately sunk in New York harbor, I am really don't know if enemy agents had infiltrated our defense plans. BUT, just in case, films like this were made--made to dramatize the work of the FBI as well as to drive home the need to keep quiet about secret government work.

The reasons why it still holds up well are production values, fine acting and a taut script. So, even though the war is long past, these factors work together to help make a fine short. Well worth seeing--and you can see it for free at archive.org--a site linked to IMDb for many of its films.